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(Image courtesy Google Maps)

The location of the bridge.

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

With the former Mattapan Police Station successfully demolished, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is expected to move forward with its long overdue plan to replace the Morton Street Bridge.

The project, part of the Commonwealth’s Accelerated Bridge Program, will demolish the existing structure that takes traffic from Route 203 over the Fairmount Commuter Rail tracks and replace it with a sleeker, smaller bridge.

Construction of the bridge’s replacement deck by the Acton-based MIG Corporation is anticipated to start in the spring of 2014, with the majority of work being staged on the vacant lot where the police station once stood.

As part of the $7.67-million project, a portion of Morton Street is expected to be closed for up to 10-days to allow construction crews to dismantle the existing bridge and move in its replacement.

Although a firm timeline has not been set, planners with the DOT expect the road closures to begin August 8, 2014 at 10 p.m.

As part of the overall project bridge related work will also take place on the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line during two consecutive weekends: August 8, starting at 10 p.m. to August 11, ending at 5 a.m. and from August 15, starting at 10 p.m. to August 18, ending at 5 a.m.

In addition to concerns about the slow progress of the project, residents in the past have also expressed apprehension about how the bridge closure might affect emergency services in the area.

During the bridge closure a detour will established along Blue Hill Avenue, Talbot Avenue, and Washington Street. A map of the proposed detour can be found here.